David Leathers Jr American Idol

David Leathers Jr American Idol, “American Idol” kicked off its 11th season Wednesday (January 18) with auditions in Savannah, Georgia, and Steven Tyler, Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez were in a very giving mood when it came to handing out Golden Tickets.

In all, 42 singers were given the green light to Hollywood, as the show placed an overwhelming emphasis on true competitors rather than gag auditions. The mood of the show was sunny and positive, a far cry from the days of Simon Cowell, when acid-tongued barbs were the order of the day.

The evening started with David Leathers Jr., a wayfarer-clad 17-year-old who claimed his nickname among his friends is “Mr. Steal Your Girl.” But his most defining characteristic was bluntly pointed out by Lopez: “You look like you’re 12,” she told the singer. However, the Fayetteville, North Carolina, resident impressed the judges with his version of 21st Century’s “Remember the Rain” and later with Michael Jackson’s “Never Can Say Goodbye.” “Nice, nice, that’s beautiful,” Tyler told him, while Jackson followed up with, “Dude, we love you, man. You’re through to Hollywood.” Whether he looks 12 or not, you’ll be seeing more of him in the future.

Despite her visible nerves, Gabi Carrubba, a 16-year-old tap dancer from North Haven, Connecticut, wowed the judges with her version of Maroon 5’s “Sunday Morning.” Lopez compared her voice control to that of Luther Vandross, and Tyler told her she “nailed” the audition. “You were born to do this!” Jackson beamed, sending her through to the Hollywood round.

Shannon Magrane, daughter of former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Joe Magrane, graduated to Hollywood on the strength of her version of Etta James’ “Something’s Got a Hold on Me,” which is sampled in both Avicii’s “Levels” and Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling.” She was complimented for her “nerves of steel” by Jackson, and her father should have been complimented on his patience after not jumping Tyler when he called the 15-year-old “hot, humid and happening.” It was the most awkward moment in an otherwise smooth show.

The season got its first good backstory out of Amy Brumfield, a 24-year-old who lives in a tent “way out in the middle of the woods” in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. She spoke of her struggles and inability to afford a “$100-a-week hotel room,” thus her humble tent. But she’s content: “I’d rather be outdoors and happy than indoors and miserable,” Brumfield explained. And when she sang Alicia Keys’ “Superwoman,” she was immediately sent off to Hollywood. “So positively yes,” Tyler told her. “Out of a tent and into Hollywood — what a story!”

Perhaps the evening’s most memorable contestant, or at least the one with the most instant name recognition, was 20-year-old Phillip Phillips of Leesburg, Georgia. The Southern singer was so physically expressive that Lopez commented, “It’s like you have electricity going through your body or something!” He punched up not only a raw, emotional version of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” but also a Southern-fried, front-porch rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” that would have ripped the screen door off the audition room, if there was one to be ripped off. Phillip Phillips: Remember that name. As if you can forget it.

Other singers given the go-ahead to Hollywood on Wednesday’s show included Ashlee Altise, a 28-year-old from Kinston, North Carolina, who sang the Beatles’ “Come Together” and is apt to express herself through “joy dancing”; W.T. Thompson, a 25-year-old former prison worker from tiny Appomattox, Virginia, who quit his job in order to audition and won two out of three “yes” votes with his version of Little Big Town’s “Boondocks”; NBA dancer Brittany Kerr, a 24-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, who sang Joss Stone’s “Spoiled” and whose stunning good looks had Jackson and Tyler’s attention long before she ever sang a note; Schyler and Colton Dixon, two siblings from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who both tried out last year and were denied but made it through this time; Lauren Mink, a 25-year-old from Winchester, Kentucky, whose version of Gwyneth Paltrow’s “Country Strong” gave Lopez “goosies!”; Stephanie Renae, a 15-year-old from Orange Park, Florida, who got two out of three “yes” votes for her version of Carrie Underwood’s “Inside Your Heaven”; 15-year-old Brianna Faulk of Monroe, Georgia, who passed through on the strength of her version of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”; 20-year-old Atlanta resident Neco Starr, who sang Bruno Mars’ “Grenade”; 28-year-old vocal coach Elise Testone, who was dubbed a “spitfire” by Lopez for her take on Janis Joplin’s “Get It While You Can”; and Franklin, Tennessee, 15-year-old Molly Hunt.

Amy Brumfield Criminal Past

Amy Brumfield Criminal Past, America loves a sob story and to root for an underdog. That’s why Tennessee ‘Tent Girl’ Amy Brumfield won ‘American Idol‘ viewers and judges over last night (Jan. 18) when she auditioned for the show. Her hard luck story – she lives in a tent because she can’t afford to reside anywhere else — resonated and she showed actual vocal talent when she sang ‘Superwoman’ by Alicia Keys.

Her story has the makings of a rags-to-riches tale if she keeps going. However, Brumfield, 24, has other issues besides homelessness. In fact, she has a lengthy criminal record, with arrests in 2005, 2007 and 2010. She’s also a bit of a boozer.

TMZ unearthed some of Brumfield’s mug shots and arrest record, which point to an alcohol problem. Brumfield has been arrested no less than six times in the past seven years. Three of those arrests were alcohol-related.

Brumfield was cuffed n 2005 when she was caught criminally trespassing on private property. The details about where she was, on whose grounds and why are not abundantly clear. But that was just the beginning of an arrest record she was beginning to build.

In 2007, she was arrested twice. One arrest was for unlawful detainer, which means she remained at a property despite an expired lease. Her other arrest that year was for drinking while underage. She pleaded guilty and was slapped with probation.

Some of the details of Brumfield’s more recent criminal past are somewhat unsavory, such as the Aug. 22, 2010 incident where the ‘Idol’ hopeful was so boozed up that she peed on herself at a Baskin Robbins. Earlier than month, she was arrested outside of the Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen as she sought a ride home and showed signs of “extreme intoxication.”

Despite her issues and her problematic past, if Amy Brumfield keeps her eye on the prize and stays on the straight and narrow, she could be successful in her quest to become the next ‘American Idol.’

Marcos Baghdatis Racket

Marcos Baghdatis Racket, Super-cool Swiss Roger Federer on Friday laughed off the racquet-smashing antics of Marcos Baghdatis but gave a reminder that he was not always the perfect gentleman on court.

Cypriot Baghdatis was fined for an extraordinary tantrum on Wednesday, stunning spectators by destroying four racquets as he briefly lost the plot during his second round defeat to Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka.

As footage of the tirade went viral, Baghdatis was fined US$800 by the tournament referee on Thursday for “abuse of racquets and equipment”.

World number three Federer, renowned as much for his controlled conduct on the court as his phenomenal success, said he was amused by the incident.

“It’s been a while (since I smashed a racquet),” said Federer. “I did see the highlights. I was watching some of the match, but I missed that part, unfortunately. I thought it was funny.

“You know, he strings with the same guys I string with, you know, so I felt bad for them for stringing three, four racquets that weren’t used afterwards.”

The 16-time grand slam champion, speaking after his third round win over Ivo Karlovic, said such an on-court outburst from him would be a shock to those who could not remember his youth, when he was known as a hot-head.

“People don’t remember me from 10, 12 years ago. They only remember me from sort of seven, eight years ago where I never threw a racquet,” he said.

“So that’s also why I just know how to keep my act together, and, I don’t know, guess be a good role model and just keep it calm. Works well.”

Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka said she had also put her racquet-smashing days behind her before her climb to world number three last year.

“Bad emotions is more in the back days a little bit. Beginning of last year I think it was the last (incident),” she said.

“Breaking racquets, you know. Having that almost crying face on the court, as a lot of players do. But I try to stay composed and control it.”